Hi all
Hi all and welcome to Plettenberg Bay, the beautiful little costal village on the border between the provinces of the Eastern and Western Cape.
Our last few days in Cape Town were really packed with fun and activity – everything from climbing Table Mountain to visiting the Cape Point to local wine tasting, not to mention a few decent surf sessions tucked in there as well. The guys have also managed to spend a lot of time with the township community in Masiphumelele, which has been really great. One thing we African’s share in common with the British is a passionate love for the Beautiful Game, so there have been many games of football going on. We tend to do things a little differently around here and our fields don’t quite compare with those of Wembley Stadium, so we’ve had to teach the guys to adapt to the rules of beach and street football, but they all took to it well and ended up having an awesome time of it.
Another Cape Town highlight had to be the buying of new boards in Muizenberg. Everyone spent a good few days browsing the store, looking for that perfect new board – the one that’s going to get them into that perfect wave. Eventually the guys managed to find something they liked and in no time our trailer was full of shiny new surfboards. The first thing that anybody with a new board wants to do is go surfing, so that’s just what we did. The wind had picked up quite powerfully from the south after a cold front made landfall so Muizenberg was a mess of chop and white-water so we decided to take the guys out to a new spot on the Atlantic coast. When we arrived in the Milnerton parking lot we were greeted by some pretty solid looking conditions. The waves were nice and sizey and the wind more offshore than in False Bay. It was going to be a big step-up for the guys but everyone was up for it. We ended up seeing some classic wipe-outs and some big falls – but we also got to see a few of the best waves of the trip for some guys. After our morning session we packed the van and headed further up the west cost to see what we could find. By that time the wind had shifted a little and the conditions became un-surfable so we headed back to Muizenberg for an afternoon feedback session with Sheldon.
On Monday morning we all got up early to pack the van and get out onto the road. We waved goodbye to our gracious hosts Shaun and Lucinda and headed eastwards towards our next stop in Plettenberg Bay. The early start meant a clear road ahead so we made some good time on the journey, stopping every now and then to refuel vehicles and tummies. This part of the country is affectionately referred to as the Garden Route. The road is almost always flanked by mountain ranges and the undulating fields are full of vynbos (a thick scrub indigenous to the Cape), which makes for a beautiful backdrop for any drive.
We arrived in Plett just after lunch and just in time to meet up with John and Donna from the International Surf School. The conditions were due to deteriorate throughout the week so we needed to get in as much time in the water as possible before things started to get messy. No sooner had we landed than we were suited up and in the water. The waves were definitely a step up from the mellow waves we were used to in Muizenberg. Plett tends to be a lot more powerful and challenging, so Nikki and I were really stoked to see the guys put in a solid effort in the trying conditions. It probably won’t go down as the session of the trip, but the way the guys rose to the challenge of the heavier waves will definitely hold them in good stead for when the wind turns offshore again.
Yesterday, with conditions wild and out of control, we decided to give surfing a miss and focused instead on the course aspects of the trip. Each rider needs to be able to complete a rigorous lifeguard assessment as part of the qualification so we decided to spend the morning on the lagoon to work on our fitness and water skills. It wasn’t all hard work though, as we made sure we brought along a rugby ball for a little touch on the beach.
In the afternoon we got out of town to check out a bit more of what this area has to offer. Our first stop was at the Crags Elephant Sanctuary where we participated in a 1-hour elephant interaction program. The sanctuary looks after rescued and abandoned elephants from all over the sub-continent, which are used as ambassadors to the public to educate them about the various challenges our gentle giants are faced with in a society that is constantly expanding into their natural habitats. As a nature guide I’m more used to seeing these magnificent creatures on foot in the wild where it is unheard of to walk up to them, however, I thought I’d make an exception this time just to get a closer look.
After the ele’s we made our way to the nearby Small Cat Sanctuary to learn more about the some of Africa’s lesser-known species of felines. Often times it’s the case that these little guys fly under the radar as they are just not as popular as their bigger cousins the Lion and the Leopard, however, this makes them no less important to the system so it was really good for our guys to get to see them and appreciate just how big a part they actually pay.
After a long and busy day it was time to rest some of those weary arms and legs and get mentally prepared for the infamous bungee jump!!
But more on that next time.
Till then, take care
Bevan and Nikki